The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will be available on October 1 for students attending the 2025-2026 academic year. It’ll be the second year of the Education Department’s “Better FAFSA” financial aid form – and a test if the form has actually been improved.
Debt.com’s latest survey of 1,000 Americans shows how necessary the improvements to FAFSA are:
- 76% Have had trouble filling out a FAFSA form.
- Of those respondents, 48% said there were far too many questions, and 31% said, “the website was under maintenance every time I tried to file.”
- 23% of those who had trouble saying the FAFSA took at least 3 ½ hours to complete. The Education Department says the “Better FAFSA” will take 15 minutes.
How many people struggle to fill out FAFSA?
What are the biggest challenges when filling out FAFSA?
How long does it take most people to file for FAFSA?
Which generation is most likely to have had trouble filing FAFSA?
How many people believe the Pell Grant will add to their student loan debt?
Does filing for FAFSA help people avoid student loan debt?
What interest rates do people pay on Federal student loans?
Click here for full survey results
| Have you or someone in your household ever filed a FAFSA form? | |
|---|---|
| YES | 78.12% |
| NO | 21.88% |
| Did you have trouble filling out a FAFSA form? | |
|---|---|
| YES | 75.89% |
| NO | 24.11% |
| If yes, around when did you fill out a FAFSA? | |
|---|---|
| 2020-2024 | 38.80% |
| 2016-2020 | 43.34% |
| 2012-2016 | 9.74% |
| 2008-2012 | 8.12% |
| What was the biggest challenge you had filling the FAFSA form out? | |
|---|---|
| There were far too many questions (over 100) | 48.05% |
| The website was under maintenance every time I tried to file | 30.84% |
| I didn't know all the financial information FAFSA asked for | 15.75% |
| FAFSA won't let me or my parents sign and submit the form | 2.92% |
| I didn't have any help filling it out | 2.44% |
| How long did it take to fill out the FAFSA form? | |
|---|---|
| 15 minutes | 10.55% |
| 30 minutes to 1 hour | 36.97% |
| 1 1/2 to 3 hours | 32.75% |
| 3 1/2 to 7 hours | 15.01% |
| 8+ hours | 3.10% |
| I gave up | 1.61% |
| Did you feel you or your child would qualify for the Pell Grant | |
|---|---|
| YES | 87.22% |
| NO | 12.78% |
| Did you or your child end up qualifying? | |
|---|---|
| YES | 80.77% |
| NO | 12.53% |
| Unsure | 6.70% |
| Did you feel the Pell Grant would contribute to you taking on more debt? | |
|---|---|
| YES | 77.18% |
| NO | 22.82% |
| Did filing FAFSA help you attain any of the following? | |
|---|---|
| Pell Grant | 56.48% |
| Federal Direct subsidized student loans | 57.11% |
| Federal Direct unsubsidized student loans | 43.02% |
| Scholarships | 31.55% |
| Work study | 19.83% |
| None of the above | 7.11% |
| Did filing FAFSA help you stay out of student loan debt? | |
|---|---|
| Yes, Pell Grants, scholarships, and/or work study helped me stay debt-free | 58.23% |
| No, I took out Federal student loans (up to $5,000) | 10.72% |
| No, I took out Federal student loans ($5,000 to $10,000) | 10.47% |
| No, I took out Federal student loans ($10,000 to $25,000) | 10.35% |
| No, I took out Federal student loans ($25,000 to $50,000) | 4.86% |
| No, I took out Federal student loans ($50,000 to $100,000) | 2.99% |
| No, I took out Federal student loans ($100,000 to $250,000) | 1.25% |
| No, I took out Federal student loans ($250,000+) | 1.12% |
| If no, what is your education level? | |
|---|---|
| I never graduated with a degree | 22.68% |
| Associate degree | 13.57% |
| Bachelor's Degree | 34.01% |
| Master's Degree | 22.86% |
| Ph. D, J.D., Doctoral Degree | 6.88% |
| How high are the interest rates on your Federal student loans? | |
|---|---|
| 0-3.5% | 35.50% |
| 3.5%-6% | 25.28% |
| 6.5%-8% | 23.79% |
| 8%-10% | 9.29% |
| More than 10% | 6.13% |
Accordion Block Title 2022 survey results
| Have you or someone in your household ever filed a FAFSA form | |
|---|---|
| YES | 81.14% |
| NO | 18.86% |
| Did you have trouble filling out a FAFSA form? | |
|---|---|
| YES | 38.54% |
| NO | 61.46% |
| What was the biggest challenge you had filling it out? | |
|---|---|
| I didn't know all the financial information they asked for? | 52.36% |
| I didn't have any help filling it out | 24.06% |
| I received an error message | 14.62% |
| I didn't create an FSA ID beforehand | 5.66% |
| I didn't know the deadline | 3.30% |
| Did you feel you or your child qualified? | |
|---|---|
| YES | 88.16% |
| NO | 11.84% |
| Did they end up qualifying? | |
|---|---|
| YES | 69.36% |
| NO | 19.27% |
| I don't know | 11.38% |
| Did you feel the Pell Grant would contribute to you taking on more debt? | |
|---|---|
| YES | 36.29% |
| NO | 63.71% |
For full 2021 survey results, click here
| Have you or someone in your household ever filed a FAFSA? | |
|---|---|
| YES | 76.56% |
| NO | 23.44% |
| Did you have trouble filling out a FAFSA form? | |
|---|---|
| YES | 31.40% |
| NO | 68.60% |
| What was the biggest challenge you had filling it out? | |
|---|---|
| I didn't know all the financial information they asked for | 44.11% |
| I didn't have any help filling it out | 27.76% |
| I received an error message | 18.25% |
| I didn't create an FSA ID beforehand | 7.22% |
| I didn't know the deadline | 2.66% |
| Did you feel you or your child qualified? | |
|---|---|
| YES | 88.76% |
| NO | 11.24% |
| Did they end up qualifying? | |
|---|---|
| YES | 67.90% |
| NO | 21.64% |
| I don't know | 10.64% |
| Did you feel the Pell Grant would contribute to you taking on more debt? | |
|---|---|
| YES | 34.27% |
| NO | 65.73% |
Methodology: Debt.com surveyed over 1,000 Americans and asked 12 questions about their experiences applying for a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). People responded from all 50 states, including Washington, DC, and were aged 18 and above. Responses were collected through SurveyMonkey. Percentages were rounded to the nearest whole number and might not total 100 percent.
